THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
tively employed by the constant coordi
nation of their efforts.
Let us consider the conditions and in
fluences attending their birth and develop
ment and the roles they are to play in the
battles of tomorrow, in which your sons
and brothers are to participate.
When the war was declared the chief
strength of the French and German
armies lay in the masses of their in
fantry, in the power of their artillery,
and in the skill of their cavalry. How
ever, it seemed the part of wisdom to
put the few hundred airplanes we pos
sessed at the service of the fighting
forces, in order to facilitate the success
of their undertakings.
The offensive
strength of both the French and German
squadrons was very small in comparison
with the millions of combatants ready to
clash with each other, supported by the
fire of several thousand cannon.
But these airplanes possessed the power
of exploring the field of battle to an ex
tent far beyond that of the cavalry, for
which this delicate and dangerous duty
had hitherto been reserved. To them, ac
cordingly, from the beginning of the war,
was intrusted the observation of the
movements of the hostile armies.
During the whole period, termed the
"War of Movement," that is to say, until
the battle of the Marne, the French com
manders were kept promptly informed of
the movements of the German forces,
thanks to the daring reconnaissances of
our pilots, who, accompanied by staff offi
cers, made flights far within the lines of
the enemy and at a low altitude, in the
rear of the hostile forces. The Aviation
of Reconnaissance was thus created dur
ing the first days of hostilities.
AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
The number of aircraft in use was so
small that a hostile airplane was rarely
encountered in the course of these recon
noitering expeditions. If adversaries did
chance to meet, all the pilots could do
was to shake their fists at each other or
discharge their revolvers without the
slightest chance of hitting. It was, how
ever, from these gestures that aerial com
bat took its birth, the history of which
will remain as one of the most brilliant
epics of the present war.
Taking advantage of their excursions
within the lines of the enemy, the pilots
carried with them a few artillery pro
jectiles which they dropped on hostile as
semblages, camps, or columns. Such was
the beginning of aerial bombardment,
which, at that epoch, was left to the initia
tive of each pilot. The bombs were
thrown without aiming, over the edge of
the cockpit, and it was counted a lucky
shot when the projectile hit the intended
target. Moreover, the airplanes of this
period were not capable of carrying heavy
loads; so that the pilots, as a rule, had to
be satisfied with small steel arrows, which
they dropped upon the enemy wherever
they found them assembled in large
groups.
This is, in brief, the history of aviation.
It is evident that the general law govern
ing the development of all technic must
apply to the development of aviation, and
that the aviators must specialize as ob
servers, as fighters, and as bomb-drop
pers. If this organization had been ef
fected in time of peace, it would doubt
less on the outbreak of war have been
immediately introduced at the front in all
its forms ; but, as I have told you, it is the
experience of war that has made aviation
what it is today, and only on the field of
battle that it has been possible to develop
the organization of military aeronautics.
There was no time to lose in France,
nor in Germany. Before all else the avia
tion of reconnaissance was organized.
The Marne had exhausted the contending
armies. The ammunition had been reck
lessly expended during this decisive bat
tle, which saved the world from the Ger
man yoke. Each army clung to its posi
tions, while strengthening them with
works of fortification.
Trenches, dugouts, block-houses, and
barbed - wire entanglements-everything
that pertained to stationary warfare made
its appearance, transforming the field of
battle in a few weeks into an immense
work yard, where every one disappeared
behind natural defenses or improvised
earthworks. Several million men buried
themselves like moles.
The artillery, profiting by this respite,
was able to find positions concealed from
the view of hostile observers. Soon the